


Snapshots

by Ischa



Series: Intriguing Factor [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, Bisexual Male Character, Brotherly Bonding, F/M, Family Feels, Gen, Growing Up, Nail Polish, School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 13:38:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14214309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ischa/pseuds/Ischa
Summary: This is set in the same verse as Intriguing Factor and is mostly about Tim and Damian growing up together.  It’s a prequel to I.F., so it can stand on its own.Tim was twelve when Damian showed up. Well, he didn’t show up as much as he was dumped on their doorstep.The woman who dumped him on their doorstep was beautiful and smelled of spices. She kissed Damian’s forehead and then she got in her car and was gone.





	Snapshots

**Author's Note:**

> No Beta.

~Prologue~  
Bruce told him, because he had been at Bruce’s place again when the news came. Tim was often at Wayne Manor when his parents were away again, chasing another adventure. And Tim knew his mother didn’t necessarily approve of Bruce’s affairs with models and filmstars, but she also knew that Tim loved Bruce and that Bruce loved him and that it was better to stay with Bruce than with hired help.   
He had seen it in Bruce’s eyes, Bruce hadn’t even needed to say anything, but he did anyway, because Bruce wasn’t a coward.   
Afterwards he held Tim as Tim shook and cried.   
Tim was sad, yes, but he wasn’t afraid, he wasn’t afraid because he had Bruce and Alfred and he knew that they would take care of him.   
No one would take Tim away from Bruce. 

~One~  
Tim was twelve when Damian showed up. Well, he didn’t show up as much as he was dumped on their doorstep.   
The woman who dumped him on their doorstep was beautiful and smelled of spices. She kissed Damian’s forehead and then she got in her car and was gone.   
Damian had to look up at Tim, and Tim was by no means big. He was slim and scrawny for his age.   
Tim was at a loss as Damian stared at him and said nothing. Damian just stood there with a bag in his hand and stared at him and then the door. 

“Alfred!” Tim finally yelled and the butler appeared just a few moments later. 

“Master Tim, what did we say about yelling at the top of your lu-“ and he just stopped and stared at Damian, as Damian stared at them. 

“New friend?” Alfred asked. 

“Bruce’s son,” Tim answered. 

Alfred raised his eyebrows. “Surely I would have known about that.”  
Tim shrugged. He knew how babies were made, and it didn’t take love. Bruce Wayne had a lot of affairs, so…it was possible one of those affairs had a child.   
“The beautiful woman who dropped him here, called him Damian,” Tim said. 

Damian chose that moment to speak. “I demand to speak with Father.” 

“And who would that be?” Alfred asked with a smile that seemed to be totally lost on Damian. 

“Bruce Wayne, according to mother and the DNA test,” he took out an envelope and handed it over to Alfred. 

“Very well then, let’s see master Bruce then,” Alfred said. “Tim, are you coming?” 

Tim nodded, there was no way he was going to miss this. If it was true, he would get a brother.   
Tim was excited. He had always wanted a sibling. 

~+~  
Damian got the room across from Tim’s. He didn’t speak to Tim, no matter how much Tim tried. 

“He is your son then?” Tim asked that evening when Bruce came to give him his good night kiss. Some kids might have scoffed at the ritual, but Tim didn’t feel like he was too old for such affections yet. 

“I will of course run my own tests, but I think he is. The timing is right,” Bruce answered. “Tim, I want you to know that just because Damian is related to me by blood it doesn’t mean I love you less or that you-“

Tim put his small finger against Bruce’s lips and silenced him so effectively. “I know. I know you love me Bruce.” Tim had always known that. From the first time Bruce had laid eyes on him and he had laid eyes on Bruce. Not that Tim could really remember that first time, as he had been only seven weeks old. But he had always felt save with Bruce and he had always felt loved by Bruce. 

“I do. I hope you and Damian will be friends.”

“We’ll be better, Bruce, we’ll be brothers,” Tim said. 

Bruce kissed his forehead and Tim closed his eyes so sleep could claim him.   
Tomorrow he would make Damian talk to him. 

~+~  
“I don’t need a brother,” Damian said at breakfast. 

Bruce just looked at him. “Well, maybe you don’t need one, but you got one.” 

“He isn’t even really your son. You should get rid of him,” Damian stated, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Master Damian!” Alfred said, sharply. “You will apologize at once.”

“I don’t listen to the help,” Damian replied. 

“Damian, go to your room,” Bruce said calmly. 

“What?” 

“You heard me. You will go to your room and stay there as a punishment until I tell you that you can come out. You will not insult any member of this household like you just did again. Do you understand?” 

Damian didn’t answer, but he got up, snatching a croissant and stormed out of the kitchen. 

“I’m sorry,” Bruce said to Tim. 

“He just needs time I guess. I mean we don’t know how he lived until now,” Tim replied, buttering his breakfast roll calmly. “How old is he?” They hadn’t had enough time yesterday to talk about Damian in detail, so Tim was going to get all his information now.

“Eight,” Bruce said. 

“I’m a big brother then,” Tim smiled. 

“Yes, you are.” 

“So, the beautiful lady who –“

“Dumped him on our doorstep?” Bruce interrupted with a smile. 

Tim nodded. “Yes. Is she his mother?” 

“Yes, she is. Her name is Talia, she was a model when I met her, but she’s now going to be in a TV show and they shot it on site in Sweden.”

“She didn’t want to have Damian with her?” 

“It seems not. Her letter said it’s my turn to take care of our son now. She did so after all for the last eight years,” Bruce sighed. “As if I wouldn’t have helped if I had known that I have another son.” 

A warm feeling spread inside Tim’s chest at those words.   
“How long do you think he will stay with us?” Tim asked. 

“As long as his mother sees fit to be a film star? I really don’t know. Talia didn’t say, but now that I know he is mine I am not going to hand him over once she shows up at our doorstep again. She should have told me sooner.”

“Maybe she was afraid you wouldn’t want Damian?” Tim said. 

“When I officially adopted you after your parents died, it was big news. I’m sure she read about it. So she must have known I would take my own son in.” 

“Damian thinks you only need one son,” Tim said. 

Bruce looked at him fondly. “Damian will come around. Everything is new to him here. I am a stranger and so are you.”

Tim nodded. He wasn’t going to pretend it didn’t hurt that Damian seemed to hate him, but he wasn’t going to give up being a big brother just because Damian hadn’t embraced that idea as enthusiastically as Tim had. 

“I’m sure you will charm him in no time master Tim,” Alfred said. 

Tim smiled at him. “I’ll do my best.” 

~+~  
After a week, Tim could safely say that he and Damian had nothing in common. Tim liked books and puzzles, Damian liked painting and sports. Damian was a vegetarian, Tim loved Alfred’s meatballs.   
And on top of that Damian seemed to hate him just because Tim existed and probably because Bruce loved him. 

“I think he should go to school, master Bruce. The boy is eight and has no social skills,” Alfred said. 

Tim was pretending to read, but he was sure both Alfred and Bruce were on to him. Damian was in his room and had been there the last few hours. Tim didn’t understand why Damian would want to be alone. Tim had hated to be alone when his parents left, that was the reason he had been over at Wayne Manor so often. 

“Which is perplexing as his mother always had great social skills,” Bruce replied. 

“Be that as it may, I think master Damian would profit from being around other children.”

“He can hardly be around me,” Tim cut in. 

“That is why I hope he will learn acceptable behavior in school,” Alfred replied. “The boy needs an education. It’s school or private tutors and I would really prefer school.”

Tim couldn’t imagine why, because Damian was such a charming little boy. He smiled. 

“Of course. I will look into it,” Bruce said. 

“Thank you sir,” Alfred replied and left the small library they tended to gather in after dinner. 

“And how are you holding up Tim?” 

Tim put his book away and looked at Bruce. “I’m trying to befriend him, but it’s hard.”

“You don’t have to befriend him if he’s so against it, Tim.” 

“I know, but I think it’s sad that he has a family here willing to love him, but choses to not love them back.”

Bruce smiled, it was the ‘I’m proud of you’ smile. Tim ducked his head. “I think it’s sad too. Tim do you want me to send him to the same school you’re attending or should I find another one?” 

“He’s four years younger, I hardly think we will cross paths often,” Tim said. “And I do attend the best school in Gotham. He could see it as a sign that you love me more if he only gets to go to the second best.” 

“True,” Bruce said.

“You want to play a game?” 

“Yes,” Bruce said, putting his tablet away. 

~+~  
Damian’s first day at school ended with a bloody nose. Tim’s bloody nose to be exact. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you to the hospital?” Bruce asked, looking at Tim’s bloody face. 

“Alfred was a medic, he can totally fix it,” Tim replied, and hoped Bruce understood him because he was pressing a tissue to his nose to keep the blood flow at bay. 

Damian was sulking in the backseat of Bruce’s town car. 

“Maybe it’s broken,” Bruce said. 

“It doesn’t feel broken,” Tim replied. But really how would he know? He had never ever broken anything before. 

Bruce gave him a look. 

Tim sighed. “We let Alfred look at it and if he says I’ll have to see a doctor you can drive me to the hospital, deal?” 

Bruce smiled. “Deal.” He looked briefly over his shoulder at Damian. “So, Damian, why does your brother have a bloody nose?”

“I’m sure you heard it all from the stupid staff,” Damian hissed. 

“Yes, I heard their version of the events and now I want to hear yours.”

“What difference does it make? I obviously am guilty and have a bad temper and also can’t play nice with others,” the last part Damian put in honest to god air quotes.

“Do you believe that too?” Bruce asked, changing lanes. Soon they would be out of the city and on their way to the manor. They still had at least twenty minutes until they would be home. It seemed to Tim, Bruce was making the best of it. Tim could see Damian blink in the review mirror. Bruce had obviously caught him off guard. 

“No, I don’t,” Damian said carefully. 

“Make your case then,” Bruce replied. 

“Is this a test?” Damian asked, suspicion coloring every one of his words. 

“I don’t see it that way. I just want you to tell me what happened and why your brother ended up with a bloody nose and I had to come to the principal’s office and get you two.” Bruce said calmly. 

“Fine,” Damian huffed and then told Bruce everything from the first person who had called Damian names to Tim’s involvement. “Timothy only got hurt because he doesn’t know how to look out for himself. You should teach him some self-defense,” Damian concluded. 

Tim turned so he could look at Damian. “I…think that’s a good idea, actually.” 

Damian blinked at him. “Of course it is; you’re useless in a fight. I also had it covered.” 

“There were three against you,” Tim pointed out. 

“I don’t have a scratch, but your nose is bleeding,” Damian shot back. “You’re going to be a teenager soon and I bet you will be bullied.” 

“Why?” Tim asked. Bruce was suspiciously silent in the driver’s seat. 

“Because of how you look, because you’re one of the richest kids at school, because you’re too smart and nerdy and pretty, because you don’t know how to fight.”

Tim turned around and looked at Bruce’s profile. “You think Damian is right?” 

“I’m not proud of it, but I bullied kids like you when I was fourteen,” Bruce said. 

Tim sighed. “Well, I should learn how to nip that in the bud then.”

Bruce nodded. “I’ll find you a teacher as soon as possible.”

“So what now?” Damian asked. 

“I still don’t like that you beat kids up on your first day, but it was self-defense so your punishment is to help Alfred with chores for a week. You do whatever he tells you to,” Bruce said. 

“What about me?” Tim asked. 

Bruce smiled at him fondly. “I think you have been punished already. Spilling blood and all.” 

And that was how Tim got himself a self-defense teacher .

~Two~  
By the age of fifteen Tim was an expert in all kinds of martial arts. He hadn’t thought when he started all those years ago that it would be something he was naturally good at and liked.   
Damian was of course better, because he had started his training at a younger age. But Tim was bigger, still. He didn’t think it would stay like that for much longer. Damian clearly came after his father and Bruce was big and broad. Tim’s parents were both on the smaller and slimmer side.   
Damian was fast and he was vicious with his words still, but over the last four years things had changed between them. Damian didn’t sneer anymore when Tim called him brother, that had actually stopped when Tim had turned thirteen.   
Of course it hadn’t been roses and rainbows after that suddenly, but Tim marked that as the turning point. 

“You’re late again,” Damian said, crossing his arms over his chest. Bruce did that a lot too, and Tim found it endlessly adorable that Damian was picking up on it. 

“I was held up,” Tim replied. 

“By someone who wanted to shove you into a locker?” 

“No,” Tim answered. It wasn’t really a lie. 

Damian just gave him a look. “I’m not going to state the obvious here.”

“That you could beat them up for me? That I could do it myself? You know what Sensei says,” Tim replied, falling into step with Damian. 

“Yes, but Sensei is built like a tank, Timothy, you are not.”   
“Just because I don’t look like I can mess someone up, doesn’t mean I’m letting people hurt me, Damian. I can take care of myself.” 

“Really?” Damian asked. 

“Really,” Tim replied. 

“I’m just asking because someone wrote ‘faggot’ on your locker, Tim.” 

Tim sighed. How did Damian find these things out? “Are you spying on me?” 

“I’m looking out for you.” 

“I’m your big brother,” Tim said. 

“Well, no one is writing ‘faggot’ on my locker door, so I think I’m doing a better job of making sure people know not to mess with me than you do. Therefor it means I can protect you better.” 

“You’re eleven.”

“You can be gay at the age of eleven. You’re born that way,” Damian said. 

It wasn’t what Tim had meant and he was sure that Damian knew that too, but he wasn’t going to have that conversation on their way from the school entrance to the car.  
Shit, Tim thought, did Damian know? Did Bruce? Tim was just figuring himself out. He wasn’t afraid that his family would suddenly stop loving him when he came out, but he would like to be sure of it first. 

“Besides you don’t have to be gay to be called names like that,” Damian added. “You can just take down the biggest and meanest of them and it should be fine.”

“I wasn’t shoved into a locker, Damian.” 

“Ttt,” Damian said just as they arrived at the car. 

~+~  
So, okay, Tim thought, he was definitely crushing on a boy. There was no way around it. The boy in question, Spencer, was everything Tim was not. Big, broad, good at making friends and popular.   
Which meant Tim had no hope to actually do something about his crush. 

“Something on your mind, Tim?” Bruce asked.   
Tim stopped spinning his pencil and looked at him. He h ad tried to do some studying, but his mind always wandered to Spencer these days. It wasn’t affecting his grades of course, but he wasn’t taking his teachers up on many extra projects either these days. 

“Someone,” Tim said. He had always found it easy to talk to Bruce and this was no exception. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Bruce asked. 

Tim knew he had now Bruce’s undivided attention.   
“I don’t know, it’s a crush for sure. I figured that out on my own, but I’m not sure if I want to do anything about it.” 

“But you’re thinking about that person a lot?” 

“Yeah, it’s distracting,” Tim admitted. 

“Maybe you should just talk to them then,” Bruce said. 

“It’s a boy,” Tim said. 

Bruce smiled. “What is that boy’s name?” 

“Spencer,” Tim answered with a smile. 

“So what makes Spencer so special?” 

“I don’t really know…” Tim admitted. It just was. 

“Tell me about him then,” Bruce said and Tim did. 

~+~  
Tim didn’t do anything about his crush on Spencer, because Spencer started to date Mary the following week. Tim didn’t know how to feel about it. Chances that Spencer would be into boys and then into Tim had been slim to nonexistent to begin with. 

“Sucks to be you,” Damian said. 

“Do you have spies at my school?” Tim asked as they made their way to the waiting car. “Also, it doesn’t suck to be me.” 

Damian grinned. “Maybe.”

“Maybe, my ass. Does Bruce know you pay people to spy on me?” 

Damian shrugged. “I don’t know what Father knows or not. He hasn’t brought it up with me, so I’m not going to start.” 

Which was of course a clever move.   
“I let you fight your own battles, but I did tell Pennyworth to stop by the gelateria you like and got all your favorites.” 

That was oddly touching Tim thought. “Thanks Damian.” 

“That’s what brothers are for right? Besides you should see it from the positive side, I don’t have to give him the talk now.”

Tim stopped and stared at him. “What talk?”

“The you hurt him and they will write horror stories based on what I’ll do to you talk. That one.” 

“You’re scary, you know that?” Tim asked, resuming walking again. 

“I worked hard on my reputation,” was all Damian answered before he got in the car. 

~+~  
Bruce had to pick Tim up from school two months later because Tim was pretty sure his nose was broken.   
Bruce was livid when he saw Tim’s face. Tim was trying to smile, but that kinda hurt so he stopped it at once.   
Bruce told Tim to wait and went into the principal’s office to tear him a new one. Tim could hear it in the hall. Hell everyone could hear it in the hall. 

“Are you saying that my son has somehow fewer rights than any other student here?” Bruce asked. His vice was controlled, but it was loud. Bruce wanted everyone and their grandmother to hear him. 

“Mister Wayne, your son is a boy-“

“I haven’t noticed, thank you for clearing that up,” Bruce cut in. “There is nothing in the school rules that says boys are forbidden from wearing nail polish. My son was attacked and you told him it was his fault for being provocative.” 

Tim couldn’t see how the principal blanched, obviously, but he could imagine it in every glorious detail.   
Tim looked at his fingers with the glittery nails. There weren’t even dark, just clear with blue glitter. They looked nice. Tim liked them. The color, the nail polish, made him feel good about himself. Made him feel pretty. 

“We’re going, a doctor needs to look at that nose of yours,” Bruce said gently and Tim looked up from his hands and at Bruce. 

“They look nice, right?” 

“Yes, Tim, they do.” Bruce’s gaze wandered from Tim’s nails over his knuckles to his face. His knuckles were a bit bruised and his face was still a mess he knew that. He had tried to clean up, but it hurt too much. 

“I didn’t want to hurt them too much, and they didn’t exactly fight fair, hence the broken nose.” 

“So no one broke up this fight?” 

“Well, Spencer tried…” Tim answered. It was nice to know that Spencer had tried to protect Tim, but it kind of made things worse and it escalated from there. 

“Where is Spencer now?” 

“His parents were faster than you,” Tim replied. He tried a smile but it hurt so he dropped it. 

Bruce nodded. “Hospital now. The whole story later.” 

Tim could agree to that. 

~+~  
“So basically you beat up five people while this Spencer guy got one hit in before he hit his head on a locker and fell on his ass?” Damian asked at dinner. 

“Yes,” Tim said. 

“And no one else got involved while that bunch of insects was harassing you?” Damian asked. 

“Well, Spencer’s girlfriend told them to shut up, but you know she’s small… and was probably afraid she’d get hurt.” Mary had run to find a teacher. Mister Smith had broken it up, and that’s when it happened: one of them wasn’t ready to stand down and he punched Tim in the face. Hard. Tim had falsely assumed that with everyone standing down and a teacher present the fight was over.   
He would not make that mistake again. 

“You need more friends,” Damian said. 

Which was true, Tim didn’t have any friends at school. He had people he partnered up with for projects or at lunch with, but no one who would get punched in the face for him. Well, Spencer had gotten punched in the face for him, but that probably didn’t make them friends.   
“True that,” Tim admitted. 

“But at least you know your crush is not an asshole,” Damian added. 

“Language, Master Damian,” Alfred said. 

Damian mumbled a sorry and grabbed some more deep friend tofu. 

Bruce was suspiciously silent, he had been since they left the hospital.   
“Do you want to change schools, Tim?” Bruce asked when there was a lull in conversation. 

Tim swallowed his bite of potato and looked at Bruce. Did he? He didn’t know. 

“You were attacked, the principal told you to remove your nail polish like that was the issue,” Bruce continued. “I don’t think this school is the right place for you.”

“On the other hand, you beat up a lot of people today, so it might be enough to keep bullies at bay,” Damian threw in. 

Bruce sighed. “Damian.” 

“What?"

“Damian’s right,” Tim said. 

“Of course I am,” Damian huffed. 

“I don’t want to change schools. Despite everything I like it there. I know the teachers and I know what people expect from me. I won’t stop wearing the nail polish.”

“No one says you should. I think I made it clear to the principal how displeased I am over this mater,” Bruce said. 

“You pay a lot of good money for Tim to go to school there and you donate for all kinds of things that Tim isn’t even into. So he better put his 21 Century pants on.” 

Tim laughed. “What?” 

Damian shrugged. “It’s what Sahid’s mom says whenever someone is being stupid about gender stuff.” 

“Ah,” Tim replied. He met Sahid of course, because the boy and Colin were staying over often at the manor. For all his faults, Damian made friends rather well. Better than Tim, because Tim knew that both Colin and Sahid would take a punch for Damian. 

Bruce smiled. “I rather like Sahid’s mother.” 

Tim nodded, he could only agree. 

“You are sure you want to stay at the school, there are other options.”

“Not in Gotham besides I’ll be done soon anyway,” Tim answered. And once he was done with school he would have to move out for a few years so he could make his dream come true to work for the Gotham Police Department. Being just an officer or detective was not an option for Tim. He knew that the GCPD needed a cybercrime specialist. Tim wanted to become that specialist. 

“It’s your choice Tim, I just want you to know that you have options,” Bruce replied. 

“I know, Bruce. Thank you.”

~+~  
The nail polish incident made Tim two new friends. Mary and Spencer.   
It also made Tim very aware how much Damian loved him.   
The guys who had attacked him didn't sport any obvious marks, but they flinched every time they saw Tim in the halls and Tim knew it wasn't because they knew now that he could hold his own in a fight.   
For a second he thought that maybe Bruce had said something to their parents, but Bruce tended to stay away from such things. He dealt with the adults that made his sons' life hard, not with schoolyard bullies.   
There were only two other people who would have wanted to avenge him and Tim was pretty sure that Alfred did not beat up kids.   
Damian on the other hand was a whole other bag. He was small, but he was fast and he was vicious and loyal to those he considered his. And Tim knew that Damian considered him his. Damian was also constantly underestimated. 

Tim studied him that evening until Damian turned and snapped at him. “What?” 

“Thank you,” Tim replied. 

Damian just looked at him. “I have no idea what you're talking about.” 

“You know I won't tell anyone, right?” 

Damian sighed and closed his laptop. “You are welcome.” He finally said and Tim crossed over to him and hugged him tightly.   
To Tim's surprise Damian let him. 

Tim should have felt bad for whatever Damian had done to install the fear of god in those guys who attacked him over something so minor as nail polish, but all he could think about was that Damian obviously loved him and would fight for him. And that gave Tim a warm feeling in his heart. 

~Three~  
At the age of eighteen Tim was sure he had figured his life out and then Steph appeared in his life and Tim had to rethink a big part of what he thought he knew about himself. 

“So, you’re dating a girl now?” Damian asked. 

Tim could hear the skepticism in his voice. Tim had never before shown any sexual or romantic interest in a female person. “Yes.”

“And she’s a real woman, right?” 

Tim rolled his eyes. “Yes, also; what the hell does that even man?”

“I’m asking if she identifies as female all the time or only sometimes,” Damian answered. 

Sometimes Damian really surprised him still. “She identifies as female all the time, Damian. She’s a real girl.” 

“Tt,” Damian said. “I thought you were gay.”

“I thought I was gay,” Tim said. 

“Well, you’re not freaking out about it,” Damian stated. 

“No, there is nothing to be freaked out about. But I want you guys to meet her. That is why I’m calling.” 

“Well, ask her what her favorite dish is, because I know Alfred will make it for her. I hope it isn’t anything gross,” Damian said. 

“We can do meat free,” Tim replied. 

Damian huffed, but Tim knew he was pleased. Except for Christmas all of their holiday dinners were meat free since Damian came to live with them. No one really minded.   
“You want to talk to father?” Damian asked. 

“Yes, thank you Damian.” 

He waited until Damian handed the phone over to Bruce and then told him about Stephanie. The talk with Bruce went like Tim knew it would. Bruce just took it in stride. It seemed that nothing could faze Bruce at all anymore. Tim loved that about Bruce. Sometimes he wondered if his biological parents would have been this understanding and supporting of him. He never dwelled on that too long. His parents had loved him, Tim knew that, they had just loved other things more. There was never a question what was the most important thing in Bruce’s heart. 

~+~  
To Tim’s surprise Damian really took to Steph. She was feisty and loud and a little bit mean and Tim thought that Damian never met anyone like her before. 

“I think he wants me to marry you,” Steph said that evening, once they retired to Tim’s childhood bedroom. She was only wearing a too big t-shirt with a panty and no bra and it made Tim want to push her down and have his way with her.

“He’s never taken to any of my boyfriends that way,” Tim admitted. No that Tim had had many boyfriends, only two so far, but he thought at eighteen that was an alright number. 

“Of course not,” Steph replied, “they could have hardly been as awesome as I am.” 

Tim laughed. That was the thing about Steph, Tim loved that she made him laugh all the time.   
“They were awesome in their own rights.” Tim said, because he had loved them well enough and wouldn’t have wanted to miss the opportunity to have a handsome man he was in love with having sucked his cock, or the mutual jerk off sessions, or that tight, giddy, hot feeling the first time he had topped.   
Damian never did think that anyone was good enough for Tim and maybe, Tim thought he was afraid that a male person could hurt Tim more, which was stupid, really as Tim could take care of himself alright. He still kept up all kinds of martial arts. 

“I’m sure they were,” Steph replied, grabbing Tim by his shirt and pulling him closer. “So how loud can I get before someone knocks on the door?”

Tim licked his lips. “I never had sex with anyone in this bed.” 

“We really need to fix that, lover,” Steph said and smashed their mouths together. 

Tim could only agree with her on that. 

~+~  
“This is a big opportunity,” Stephanie said in a ton that made clear to Tim that she really wanted to take it, but was also conflicted because she knew that he could not uproot himself right now. His studies were at a crucial point and he had always told her that he would go back to Gotham once he was done with his studies and education.  
He had already talked to Commissioner Gordon, because the Commissioner was a friend of Bruce’s and really the whole family at this point. A job was waiting for Tim. Not as well paid as others but that was the beauty Tim thought, he didn’t really need the money. His parents had been rich and as soon as Tim turned twenty one he was going to inherit everything. Tim wasn’t in it for the money, he wanted to help people. Wanted to make Gotham saver, better. 

“I know and I think you should take it.” 

“I knew you would say that, but I really wished you hadn’t,” Steph sighed. 

“But it’s your dream, Stephanie. You never stood between me and my future, so-“

“Well, yes I was assuming your future would somehow be my future as well,” Steph cut in. 

“It could still happen,” Tim replied. 

Stephanie gave him a look. “I was offered a position for two years in Australia, Tim.” 

“Yes, I know.”

“I don’t think we can maintain a relationship for two years without seeing each other, or talking to each other face to face regularly,” Steph said. 

“Because you want to experience all the things while you’re there,” Tim stated. 

Steph nodded. “Yes.”

“And that includes other people,” Tim said. 

“Yes,” Stephanie repeated. It was obvious that this conversation wasn’t easy for her, she had thought about this long and hard and there was really nothing Tim could do to change her mind. He didn’t want to persuade her to stay and then have her hate him for a missed opportunity.

“We could try,” Tim said anyway. 

“We could try, yes, but as soon as one of us realizes that it isn’t working we’re going to –“

“Break up,” Tim finished for her.

Stephanie nodded. “I didn’t think this would happen.” 

“Life is full of surprises like that,” Tim replied. 

“Fuck I don’t want to break up with you, but I also don’t want to wonder about this one day, don’t want to feel guilty if I should meet someone over there.” 

He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. She rested her head on his shoulder and sobbed. Tim was feeling like crying himself. 

“This sucks,” she whispered. 

“Yeah,” Tim whispered back and kissed her head. 

~+~  
“You’re moping,” Damian said. Tim didn’t even wonder how he got in. He probably had a spare key made, or Bruce, or Alfred for that matter. Or he was handy with a bobby pin. Tim would not underestimate Damian. 

“I’m working.” 

“You haven’t shaved and it looks weird,” Damian replied, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at Tim. 

Tim ran a hand through his unwashed hair. “I had a lot on my plate.” 

“You always have a lot on your plate, but you still make time to call and send stupid cat videos.”

“You love the cat videos I send you,” Tim said with a smile. 

“Tt, that’s not here or there. You are – messed up, obviously. This place is a mess.” 

Tim didn’t think it was that bad, but then he didn’t shower for three days, and he hadn’t cooked or cleaned in way longer.   
He sighed. “Is there a point to this visit?” 

“It was meant as a visit, but now I see you need an intervention,” Damian huffed. 

“I’m fine-“

“Sure you are, that’s why you look like a homeless person from a third world country,” Damian said. “Have you eaten recently?” 

What was count as recently, Tim wondered. “Yeah.”

“When?” Damian asked sharply. 

“I had coffee and cereal…I think this morning.” 

“Tim. Dry cereal and coffee are not what makes a meal. You’re the smart one, you should know.”

“Why are you here? Go away, I need to study.” 

“Steph called me,” Damian said. 

Tim put his head on the desk and closed his eyes. “Great.”

“She said you’re blowing her off, don’t want to talk, and you do the same with us, so…”

“We broke up,” Tim mumbled into the wood of the desk. 

“I know, Steph told me,” Damian said. 

“Why are you on my case then?” Tim asked sharply, sitting up and facing his brother. “I’m allowed to wallow in my fucking misery.” 

“You broke up with people before,” Damian stated. 

“But it’s different now!” 

“Why?”

“Because I love her!” Tim yelled. There. He said it. And it hurt. He didn’t like that feeling. 

“Go shower and shave, we’re going out for food and I’ll call someone to clean this mess up,” Damian said. 

“I can do it myself.”

“Clearly you can’t right now.” 

Damian was four years younger than Tim, but it was really hard to argue with Damian’s no-nonsense voice. And Damian was right too, he really needed a shower and to shave. Maybe it would be good for him to get out of the apartment as well.   
“Fine,” Tim said. 

“Fine,” Damian replied. 

Tim got his ass in the shower.   
When he came out, clean shaven and dressed, Damian was on the phone, probably with some company that would clean Tim’s apartment up while they were out.   
Tim really didn’t like that he failed adult 101 since he and Steph broke up. 

“Better,” Damian said, as he hung up. “Now let’s get some food in you and you can cry on my shoulder.”   
Tim laughed. Damian was a good brother.

~Epilogue~  
First day at the job, Tim thought, as he put up a photo of his family on his desk in the basement. So far so good, but he knew that it wouldn’t be easy. He was the new guy, the one Gordon had wanted, the one who wore sparkly nail polish to work. The young one. The green one. Damian had already offered to do some bodily harm to people if they should mess with Tim. 

Tim was able to deliver sweet justice on his own, he was sure of that. Besides at nineteen years old Damian was being haunted by gossip mags and paparazzi. Tim thought Damian was even better looking, more exotic for sure, than Bruce when Bruce had been young. And it seemed that thousands of women and men agreed with Tim, if the fan sites were any indication. 

Tim was going to do this on his own.   
He was smart, he had good people skills and he knew how to defend himself.   
Tim was totally going to smash this.   
And then Detective Jason Todd walked into his basement office, with a laptop under his arm and a wicked smile around his lips and Tim knew that nope, he was so not prepared for this.   
Not at all.


End file.
